Redesigned Test/Practice Mode for harder fights

[Colvin]

First off, I would have put this in another forum but there isn't one for "Fights"... "dungeons" maybe... anyways...

I would like to propose we add a Test/Practice Mode for the Harder fights such as Primals.

If you take in to account the fight design, it is clear that one of the issues with the general populace getting to be able to clear them on a regular basis is the way the fights progress. Every fight is in progressively "harder" stages and unless you have ridiculous DPS (compared to the suggested iLVL), the fights take 2 minutes per phase. This means that when people want to be able to LEARN a fight, they have to get 4-6 minutes in before the inevitably wipe. It follows then, that most people CANT spend the time they need practicing the harder parts of the fight because it becomes 6 minutes getting there.. 30 seconds wipe. Over the course of an hour or so trying that isn't much practice time in what you are trying to learn.

What I think would help this (as well as separate experienced players) is to have a practice mode where you can fight the boss and when you beat a stage and die, it saves your progress at the end of that phase until you beat it. Just to be clear, winning this would give you no rewards, but it might give you a title or something so people know that you have practiced it enough to have beaten it. I think to some extent the Guildhests were meant to do this and perhaps they could expand on those for a more difficult solo experience.

Also, in general, I think they could add a set of "Test" contents where you can test your character's abilities in similar situations solo. Getting various degrees of certification in play would allow you to prove that you know what you are doing. Someone told me they have something similar in Wow At this point.

[Raestloz]

I'd like to add that maybe they can make it so the fight starts at a certain phase. Like Titan EX, for example. When you choose you wanna start at the last phase, the first thing Titan will do is Geocrush the entire area and start summoning Gaolers.

It'd help people to learn things during a certain phase, and not waste time dealing with the previous phases.

And I agree with the learning stuff. I think class and job quests need to be made so you need to coordinate with the bot. The last archer quest does not contain a tank whatsoever, while the other archer heals you throughout the fight. It doesn't reflect the actual content you'll undertake later

[Colvin]

After discussing this with others, I am surprised this threat never got more attention.

Given that our biggest problem at end game is people unable to get better at new content; it seems like a new kind of solution would be in everyone's interest

[Deifact]

How would this be incorporated into the lore? Just out of interest

[Nabian]

I don't think this would really work. One of the major challenges that most groups face when they fail on a new phase isn't always related to the mechanics of that particular phase. For example...in Turn 5 facing Twintania the last phase is basically a joke. However, the twister phase before it can really be challenging for a lot of parties (many players in this game have difficulty with paying attention). The problem is if 90% of your party is dead entering a new phase..your probably going to wipe and it has nothing to do with the phase mechanics.

Additionally I think this would make many fights too easy (their easy enough as it is). The echo is in place for older content to allow those currently struggling to progress through the fights. That's essentially why they have echo in the first place.

[DeathFiend]

This idea defeats the purpose of doing any dungeons or raids. No MMO has this. You go into a dungeon (Primals included) and you explore. No matter how many times you wipe, you have 60-90 mins to learn the fight. Even if your stuck on primals, if some people cant get through the first phase while you are eager to get to the second phase, simply find other people that can get to the second phase with you.

Anything that your suggesting is basically cheating in my view.

[Colvin]

Anything that your suggesting is basically cheating in my view.

I fail to see how it is cheating as long as you don't get any gear. Practicing something to get better at it by putting in your own time and effort isn't cheating at all.

[Colvin]

snip

While I agree there is no perfect solution, practicing a specific phase until you get it done and having cleared phases separately, then having to clear them together (which you could still do in practice) is still better than the current situation.

We have an issue with lots of people in the community unable to do content for various reasons and lots of people that complain they are bad at content. Should we not then look at ways to make them better at content and not just ways to nurf the numbers?

[Colvin]

How would this be incorporated into the lore? Just out of interest

You know, that is a great question!

Light spoilers below if you are not done with main scenario:

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I would work in Lore around the Echo (Your Character's ability to see in to the minds and times of others). Seeing as how all adventurers HAVE Echo; it could be a situation when you enter your mind as a group and "experience" how the fight would be as a result of your Echo power.

[AttacKat]

Just to play devils advocate ---

The game itself has the learning built in. You wipe, you get echo bonus, therefore, giving you better chances to succeed.

The worst issue IMHO, isn't the game, but more about the players' attitude. All those complains about bad attitude of tanks, healers, dps, in/experience players clearly states the human factor as an major issue. Until we fix that, which SE cannot do, the friendliness and ease of play of this game will not change. If the players do not help each other, it will only makes this game more unfriendly and harder to play. This is, after all, a MMO.

Sad, but those "farming runs" certainly do not help this matter much.

BTW, I do like the idea of practice runs. Maybe we can limit it within an FC, hence giving the the players another reason to join FC and FC in turn being the place to help players.

jc